Can-cap-placing apparatus.



PATENTED MAIL-24, 1908. J. T. WILMORE. A CAN GAP PLACING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR. 20, 1906.

2 SHEETS SHEET 1.

, PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. J. T. WILMORE, (l-AN GAP PLACING APPARATUS.

2 BHEETS'-BHEET- 2.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1906.

35 the same. Fig. 3 me view showing the uper portion of a can .with the cap in place. ig. 3 is a similar view of a can showing 'the can cap e beginning of'the performance intimated.

- companying drawings,

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFrcE.

JOHN T. WILMoRE; or canvas, ootonano. men-mo s APPARATUS.

5N0. seems.

To all whom it may concern:

it known that 1, JOHN T. WILMORE, a citizen of the United, States, residing in the cit and county of Denver and State of Colora 0, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oan-Oap-Placing Appara tus; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled'in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the acand to the letters and s of reference marked thereon, which forma part of thisspecification. Y

My invention relates .to improvements in means for placin can. ca s. upon the cans preparatory to so dering,t e said. apparatus constitutin a. portion of the construction usedin a'p ant where various kinds of goods are put up in cans. In establishments of this character it is very important that as much time as possible be saved duringevery step orstage ofthe work. -My improved apparatus is designed to, facilitate the ste of p acmg the caps upon the cansas be ore The invention will now be described-in detail referencebeingimade to the accompany: ing drawin in w 'ch is illustrated an embodiment t ereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved can-caplacing appa ratus shown in connection wit a travelin conveyer on which the cans to be cappe are mounted. Fig; 2: is a side elevation ofchute in section and in the pos1t1on at t of the can cap placing 'function. Fig. 3

' shows a can in position to receive a cap as it is carried along by the conveyer. 4 a tgp view illustrating the apparatus shown in lgs. 3, 3 and 3, the conveyer, however,

Fig. 4' is bein shown in addition to the cans and cap.

placing chute. Fi 5 is an endelevation partly-lip section ta en on the line 55 Fig. 2 100 g in the direction of the arrow.

' The same reference characters indicate the a same parts'in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a slotted track or support and6 a conveyer chain pro vided with fli hts 7 projecting above the track 5, the ights ing rovided with necks 8 which pass through t 'e slot 9 of the Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed larch 20, 1906. Serial No. seems.

Patented March 24, 1908;

%pproximately crescent shaped as shown in' igs. 1 and 4 whereby they are adapted to conform in some. degree to the curve of the cans to be capped.

.As these cans are of varying size it is impracticable to have the: flights so formed; as

to exactly fit the cans.

reg rd, however, is not essential.

A sprocket wheel 12 occupyin a horizon:

tal plane is journaled in a suita le support 13, the wheel being so arranged that its teeth engage the links of the conveyer chain 6. This sprocket is also provided with a gear 14 which meshes with a vertically disposed gear 15 journaled in an upright part 13 of the horizontal support 13. Formed on the gear 15, is a cam lfihaving a series of projections 17 and recesses 18 the projectionsand recesses alternating in order to give vibrating vertical or upward and downward movement to a device resting thereon. An arm 20 is pivotally mounted at one extremity on a support 19, the other extremity being made fast to a pin 21 extending laterally above the track 5, its extremity remote from the arm 20 passing through a slot 22 formed in a lug 23 fast on the under side on an inclined chute 24. The arm 20 intermediate its extremities is provided with a laterally rojecting spindle 25 upon which is journaled a roller 26 adapted to engage the peri hery of the cam 16 whereby an upward or tion isimparted to the arm 20 and indirectly to the chute 24. This chute is pivotally mounted at its upper extremity to a suitable support 27 while its lower portion is supportedbi the arm 20 and the pin 19as aforesaid. T is chute is provided with inwardly turned flanges 241 and is of sufficient dept to allow can caps 28 to pass down the chute, their outer edges passing below the flanges of the chute, the said flanges retaining the caps in place and preventing any tendency to move upwardly or escape from the chute.

The up er and lower extremities of the chute are both open one for the reception of the caps and the other for their escape. The lower extremity of the chute is rovided with a top spring 29 which is secure to the chute at 30 and projects somewhat below the same whereby it is caused to enga as the latter passes downwar l and is about to escape from the chute. be lower extremity of this chute is also provided on opposite sides with stop springs 31 which en- An exact fitin this e each can cap ownward movement or vertical vibraduce this result.

gage the caps as they reach the lower extremity of the chute and are about to escape therefrom. These springs allow the lowermost ortion of the rim of each cap to en'- gage t e upwardly turned ledge 32 of a can. As the can 09. engages the ledge of the can as shown in i 3, the cap is held by the can and as the latter travels along with the conveyer, the cap is drawn out of the chute between the tension springs 31 and forced downwardly by the spring 29 whereby is accurately laced upon the can for soldermg purposes. '11' this manner each can as-it travels along receives a cap from the chute the said caps moving downwardly through the chute successively and by gravity, their downward movement being to some extent facilitated by the vibration imparted by the actuating arm 20.

As shown in the drawing the track 5 forms a sort of conduit shown in cross section in Fig. 5 through which the link portion of the conveyer travels. This track has its lower portion bolted to the support 13 the bolt bemg designated 33, the said bolt passing through a late 34 which facilitates the securing of the track in place.- The upright wall of the track is'cut away on one side as shown at 35 to allow the sprocket wheel 12 to enter in order to engage the conveyer chain 6.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my im roved apparatus will be readilyunderstood? Assuming that thecans are carried along by the conveyer the same resting upon the top .of the track 5 and being engaged by the crescent-shaped flights 7, the caps are fed downwardly automatically through the chute 24 and caused to engage ledges or'upwardly projecting parts surroundin the openings of the cans. The chute is raised and lowered alternately by the cam 16 whose periphery is shaped to pro- The arm "20 and its roller 26 act upon the chute to operate the same as heretofore explained. Every time the lower extremity of the chute moves downwardly, due to a de ression or recess in the cam 16, the cap at t e lower extremityof the chute, catches upon-the ledge or u wardly projecting' rim of the can and holds thereto with sufficient force to cause ,the cap to be drawn from the chute as the can continues its I travel. As soon as one cap passes out of the chute another moves downward automaticthe next can. After placing any cap upon a can, the lower extremity of'the' chute is chute should be alternately raised and lowally and takes its place and is'in position for ered, since otherwise the can cap protrudin from the lower extremity of the chute would catch on the outer edge of the can after placinga cap, since the to of the ledge sur-- roundin the opening in the top of the can, 7 lies in t e same plane as the outer rim or ledge surrounding the to of,the can and projecting above the hea thereof. Hence as soon as the ca is placed, if the lower extremity of the c ute were not immediately raised, the can cap would catch upon'the outer rim of the can and pull out a'cap inthe same manneras is doneby the ledge surrounding the opening as heretofore explained. 8

Attention is called to the fact that in Fig. 2. of the drawing one of the cans is omitted in order to show more clearly the apparatus for operating the chute.

Having thus described my invention, what 3 I claim is:

1. In can-cap-placing bination with a conveyer r the cans to be capped, of a can ca chute movably mounted above the cans an in the plane of the con- 9 veyer, the lower extremity of the chute'being provided 'with springs arranged on opposite sides, and. a top spring projecting be-' yond the discharge extremity thereof and acting on the caps from ,above.

2. ii a can cap placing a paratus, the combination with a conveyer or the cans to be capped, of a can-cap-carrying chute movably mounted above the cans and inclined to the and, suitable means acting on the chute whereb the latter is alternately raised and lowere r a iparatus, the com lane of the travel of the conveyer,

bination with a conveyor or the cans to be 1 capped, a can-cap-carrygig chute mounted above the cans and inc ed to the plane of the conveyer, the lower extremity of the chute-being open for the escape of the caps and provided with tension springs arranged 1 on opposite sides, and a top springlactmg on t e caps from above, all of t e sai gsprotrudin from or beyond the lower extremity of the ody of the chute. 3

- 4. In can-cap-placmg apparatus, bination with a conveyer for carrying the cans to be capped, of an inclined can cap chute mounte above the conveyor and the lane thereof, and suitable means acting raised and lowered.

5. In can-cap-plac' apparatus, the combination ofa conveyer or banging the caps, the said conveye'rbemg rovide Witha chain,

a sprocket wheelprope ed by the chain, the

the comon t echute whereby the latter is alternately I sprocket wheel being provided with again,

another gear occu a position at right angles to the sproc et gear and carrying a camcomposed of alternating recesses and projections, an inclined camcap-carrying cans to be capped, a 0

adapted to engage said cam where chute arranged in the plane of the conveyer and the cans mounted thereon, and an arm movably connected with a stationary support at one extremity while its other extreinity is pivotally connected with the chute, the said arm having a. pgojection as the cam is rotated, the chute is alternate y raised and lowered. r

6. In can-cap placing apparatus, the combination, with a conveier for carrying the ute mounted above the conveyer and in the plane thereof, the i said chute being constructed to carry can caps, and suitable means acting on the chute and operated from the eonveyer, [or at ternately raising and lowering the lower extremity of the chute for the purpose set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. v

1 JOHN '1, WILMORE. Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, DENA NELSON. 

